The Ancient Near East

An indispensable introduction that clearly addresses the important and complex questions about Israel and the Old Testament's relationship to the ancient Near East.
The cultures of the great empires of the ancient Near East from Egypt to Mesopotamia influenced Israel's religion, literature, and laws because of Israel's geographic location and political position situation. Anyone who wishes to understand the Old Testament texts and the history of ancient Israel must become familiar with the history, literature, and society of the surrounding kingdoms that at times controlled the region. Brief in presentation yet broad in scope, Ancient Near East will introduce students to the information and ideas essential to understanding the texts of the Old Testament while clarifying difficult issues concerning the relationship between Israel and its neighbors.

The only way humans can know God’s Word is through human words that arise in human cultures. Without knowledge of ancient cultures, no words about God can be understood deeply. Without knowledge of ancient cultures, biblical interpretation can be distorted, mistaken, or even wrong. John McLaughlin has written a wonderful book in clear English that describes literary works and cultural worlds of major civilizations in antiquity that have bearing on the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible. He explains basic concepts, terminology, and texts to help students, scholars, and even perhaps preachers who want to understand God’s word expressed through human words.
--Kathleen M. O’Connor, William Marcellus McPheeters Professor of Old Testament, emeriti, Columbia Theological Seminary

In this work, John McLaughlin offers a special invitation to readers of the Bible to comprehend biblical writings in a fresh way by showing how they relate to the literatures of ancient Middle Eastern empires and peoples. Chapter-by-chapter, this book gives a tour of the ancient lands and their texts, showing the rich and deep parallels that they share with the Bible. The chapters walk readers through Mesopotamia and Egypt, through the Hittite and Persian empires, to Greece and finally to Israel’s immediate neighbors. Without needing any background, readers will be able to enjoy new discoveries about Israel and its Scriptures.
--Mark S. Smith, Skirball Professor of Bible and Ancient Near Eastern Studies, New York University

Endorsements

In this work, John McLaughlin offers a special invitation to readers of the Bible to comprehend biblical writings in a fresh way by showing how they relate to the literatures of ancient Middle Eastern empires and peoples. Chapter-by-chapter, this book gives a tour of the ancient lands and their texts, showing the rich and deep parallels that they share with the Bible. The chapters walk readers through Mesopotamia and Egypt, through the Hittite and Persian empires, to Greece and finally to Israel’s immediate neighbors. Without needing any background, readers will be able to enjoy new discoveries about Israel and its Scriptures.
--Mark S. Smith, Skirball Professor of Bible and Ancient Near Eastern Studies, New York University

The fact that Israel formed a "land bridge" between Egypt and Mesopotamia meant that it served as a crossroads of the ancient Near East, and that Israel and its literature was therefore influenced by the cultures of Mesopotamia, Egypt, Hatti, Persia, Greece, and Syro-Palestine. This means that, in order to understand ancient Israel and the Old Testament, one must have an understanding of the basic features of each of these cultures. McLaughlin provides a concise, user-friendly introduction to each of them. This handy volume will indeed prove to be an essential guide for both students and general readers of the Old Testament.
--Ralph K. Hawkins, Associate Professor of Religious Studies, Averett University, Danville, Virginia

The only way humans can know God’s Word is through human words that arise in human cultures. Without knowledge of ancient cultures, no words about God can be understood deeply. Without knowledge of ancient cultures, biblical interpretation can be distorted, mistaken, or even wrong. John McLaughlin has written a wonderful book in clear English that describes literary works and cultural worlds of major civilizations in antiquity that have bearing on the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible. He explains basic concepts, terminology, and texts to help students, scholars, and even perhaps preachers who want to understand God’s word expressed through human words.
--Kathleen M. O’Connor, William Marcellus McPheeters Professor of Old Testament, emeriti, Columbia Theological Seminary

This book fills a real need for introducing students of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament to its setting in the ancient Near East. Eminently readable, the book illustrates the significance of the peoples, literatures, and history of the countries surrounding Israel for comprehending Israel’s own story in the pages of the Bible. McLaughlin’s work combines the broad range of an expert with the sensitivity and communication skills of an esteemed teacher in this highly useful volume.--Steve McKenzie, Rhodes College, Memphis, Tennessee

This is a clearly written introduction to the history and literature of the ancient Near East, perfectly suited for undergraduate or beginning graduate students. By showing how the history of Israel was intertwined with that of the surrounding nations, the parallels that McLaughlin traces between the literature of Israel and the literature of its neighbors make perfect sense. This slim volume would be excellent in the classroom, or as handy reference book in a personal library.
--Corrine Carvalho, University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, Minnesota